This invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic charging of containers (which are open at one side) with stacked, flat (disc or wafer-shaped) articles. The apparatus has a first conveyor for advancing the articles and a second conveyor for advancing the containers and further includes an intermediate conveyor device situated between the first and second conveyors. The intermediate conveyor device advances the stacked items to the lower-lying containers.
An apparatus of the above-outlined type is disclosed in Swiss Pat. No. 532,504. In this prior art construction the containers are tilted from a horizontal position into a vertical position in which the vertically oriented article stacks are pushed into the compartments of each container. The filled containers are subsequently tilted back into a horizontal orientation. This apparatus is also adapted to handle delicate articles such as cookies or biscuits but it has, however, the disadvantage that it is adapted to handle articles of only one shape and size and cannot be converted for use with different articles or to handle containers of different types.
Another apparatus of the above-outlined type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,290,859. In this construction, in each charging cycle, two item rows are simultaneously placed into the container through a stationary funnel from which they fall directly into the container. Since the height from which the articles fall is relatively large, risks are high that delicate articles will be damaged. This apparatus is adapted only for disc-shaped items. In case of more significant differences in dimensions, the articles may jam which would result in an interruption of the packaging process.